World

My thoughts continue to dwell upon the tragic death of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who was killed last week in an act of terrorism. Many of us have heard of his commitment to the people of Libya, one time telling his mother, "Libya is no more dangerous than Oakland. " He seems to have genuinely believed in Libyans and loved his life and work there. Truly his death came too soon at the hands of killers whose violent anger has caused untold suffering for not only Stevens and his family, but for the entire world.

As I prepare my Sunday morning meditation for our third Sunday of Advent, the day we light the candle of joy upon our wreath, I cannot help but feel inauthentic. Like you, I have been jolted from my Christmas preparations by the shocking news of the mass murder that took place in a Connecticut elementary school Friday morning. How do we sing "Joy to the World," awaiting the birth of baby Jesus, the son of God, while listening to the news commentary that reports a rising death toll of innocent children of God?

I am happy to say that the "functional libertarian" approach is beginning to attract more people here and around the world. But what does that mean? What would a functional libertarian world really look like? Generally speaking, functional libertarians strive for a government under which people would happily pay their taxes because they see that the money is being responsibly and effectively spent for their general safety, welfare and quality of life. Obviously, we will never attain that result, but we can strive for it. We would have strong police and military forces to protect us from foreigners and from each other.

I have been writing for my hometown paper, The Daily Pilot, for several years now, commenting on a variety of news and issues surrounding the world of sports. This week, the news spread about my own plans, and I wanted to share the rationale and motivation with our readers. In March of 2010 I entered Sober Living to deal with my growing problem with alcohol. I realized that until I put sobriety first, nothing else would be possible. I have had to work through the self-induced wreckage and relationships.

INDIANAPOLIS — Many call Aaron Peirsol, “The Backstroke King.” The former Newport Harbor High star swimmer showed why on Saturday. He broke the world record in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2009 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships. He beat previous record holder Ryan Lochte, attaining his second world record in three days. Peirsol, who was the silver medalist in the 200 back at the Beijing Olympics, touched the wall in 1 minute, 53.08 seconds, finishing faster than Olympic champion Lochte’s former mark of 1:553.

Recently while I was flying home from Houston, where I had been invited to speak about our nation’s failed drug policy, I had the good fortune to sit next to a Continental Airlines pilot who was going home to Ventura. And this interesting fellow had an idea that I want to pass along to you. He suggested that our government offer a prize, or a “bounty,” for anyone who would develop a process or method that would be commercially viable to separate the hydrogen and oxygen elements from water.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Hayley Peirsol and older brother Aaron Peirsol, both Newport Harbor High products, qualified for today's finals in the 1,500-meter freestyle and 100 backstroke, respectively, in preliminary action at the FINA World Championships Monday. Hayley Peirsol qualified first in 16 minutes, 2.08 seconds, ahead of Japan's Ai Shibata (16:05.92) and American Kate Ziegler (16:07.71). Ziegler is the reigning world champion in the 1,500 and 800 free events, having claimed both titles in 2005 at Montreal.

In May, two Long Beach residents -- Don and Linda Bryce -- completed an 11-year journey around the world. On Dec. 10, OCC presents a three-hour seminar titled "Around the World in 4,155 Days," the story of their circumnavigation of the globe. More than 11 years ago, the couple set off in their 40-foot cutter, Green Dolphin. He is a physician and she a photographer. Together, they will provide a firsthand account of the open seas and some of the most remote areas of the world.

Coral Wilson In the last three years of the 1980s, Glen Allison made a million dollars as one of the leading architectural photographers in the world. But when the real estate market crashed in the early '90s, so did his fortune. He lived in his van for nine months until his bankruptcy went through, and then he lost the van, too. And he had to decide, as all people do, would life's obstacles fuel him or drain him? For Allison, it was a catalyst to go after his dream of becoming a travel photographer.

Bill and Addy Fry are incredible people. I have never ever met a couple who love Christmas and other people more than they do. They were so hospitable during my visit, it was hard to say goodbye. Not only do they love the holidays, they love everyone that comes into their home to enjoy what they have done to it. The Frys were so excited we were there that Addy Fry almost cried several times and hugged me a few before I left. They truly appreciated and felt it was an honor we were there.

Q: Recently, an acquaintance of mine died of cancer. He was a member of a social club to which I belong. I attended the wake in the afternoon, then went home and did nothing rather than attending a meeting at the social club. I'd known a week prior that this man was very ill and felt sad for him and sad about death in general. I'm in my 50s. I have five grandchildren and another son who's not yet married, so I expect I'll want to be here for his children. I look forward to spending time with all the grandkids as they grow and I'm young enough that we can do enjoyable things together.

The Festival of Children Foundation and Team Kids are busy with their Letters from Home program, an attempt to set the Guinness World Record for most letters written to U.S. military personnel in a one-month period. The two nonprofit organizations teamed up for Global Youth Service Day on April 12 at South Coast Plaza in an effort to collect 10,001 letters by May 12. The campaign is a group effort, according to Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, founder and executive director of the Festival of Children Foundation, which raises money for children's charities.

I just finished Frederic Morton's "Thunder at Twilight: Vienna 1913/1914. " The detail surrounding the many people involved in that slice of history building up to World War I is amazing. I knew that the death of Crown Prince Archduke Franz Ferdinand had led to the war, but this book, with its accounts of the activities of many countries' politicians and the culture of Vienna at the time, explains what was going on so well that you almost feel as though you are there, following the characters around.

However long other ticket buyers stand in line to see "Don't Quit: The Joe Roth Story," Mike White has waited longer. Nearly four decades, in fact. White, the former football coach at UC Berkeley, has hoped to see a film about the story of Roth, the promising quarterback who played two seasons on the university's team, since shortly after Roth's 1977 death at age 21 of melanoma. For years, White heard rumblings about proposed scripts, but no project ever came to fruition. Then, five years ago, a pair of Berkeley alums who attended the school after Roth's time there got to work on a documentary.

It's no secret that significant changes are underway in education. But an easier-to-miss development is that these various paths to change, though often superficially unrelated, are converging on a central principle: Education must increasingly focus on real-world knowledge and skills. This shift from the esoteric to the practical, the ivory tower to the shop floor, is sometimes subtle, in other instances intentionally bold, and it has passionate supporters as well as critics. But in all cases it marks a profound rethinking of the nature and scope of our efforts to prepare students for the future.

It's easy for Colin Montgomerie to remember his first event on the PGA European Tour - and not because of some fabulous highlight. His mind actually goes to a rare embarrassing moment. His golf clubs went missing. They were shipped elsewhere after his flight to Switzerland for the Swiss Open. The World Golf Hall of Fame member also made the rookie mistake of packing his golf shoes with his clubs. "Switzerland is not really a golfer place," Montgomerie said during the Toshiba Classic's annual Breakfast With a Champion on Tuesday morning at the Balboa Bay Resort.

The 20th Toshiba Classic won't disappoint when it comes to its annual Breakfast With a Champion, as World Golf Hall of Fame member Colin Montgomerie, a 41-time professional winner who joined the Champions Tour in 2013, will be the keynote speaker on March 11. The event, presented by The Allergan Foundation, begins at 7 a.m. at Balboa Bay Resort. The breakfast also includes awarding two top Orange County students with a $10,000 scholarship from the Toshiba Classic Scholarship Fund.

Following remarks from Newport Beach Mayor Rush Hill, two City Council members and two representatives from Girl Scouts of Orange County, 11-year-old Olivia Bobrownicki approached the podium Tuesday. Dressed in her uniform, the Irvine Girl Scout climbed onto a green stool to speak directly and confidently into the microphone. Olivia outlined all that she had learned so far as a Scout, a list that included skills in marketing, goal setting and leadership. "And I learned that a girl can do anything," she said to the assembled crowd of more than 150 people.

A new arrival at Fashion Island is bringing a world of visuals to Newport Beach and allowing professional photographers to introduce their work to new audiences. Sleek French art photography gallery YellowKorner offers limited-edition prints from photographers around the world, with a goal of democratizing art photography. Each high-quality print is numbered and supplied with a certificate of authenticity. "After analyzing different options, Fashion Island seemed to be a perfect fit," YellowKorner gallery owner Melissa Geens said.

As aid workers from around the world descended on the Philippines to help the people hardest hit by Typhoon Haiyan last month, Springer Browne headed toward the devastation for a different reason: the animals. The 31-year-old Newport Beach native made the trip as a volunteer for World Vets, a sort of veterinary equivalent of the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, which provides urgent medical care worldwide. World Vets sends veterinarians to work with animals around the world through various projects based on an area's needs.